Castro-Urdiales

Can you build a house on rustic land?

Cantabria allows a new house on rustic land only within 200 m of a village, on at least 1,500 m².

Ley 5/2022, art. 51. A town plan can be stricter.

Plan in force: Plan General (a full town plan), from 1997. The region's planning viewer ↗

The national urban information system (SIU) maps the land class for 100% of the municipality.

Only the town hall can confirm it, in writing: ask for a certificado urbanístico.

Is there water?

IGME records 22 wells and boreholes in Castro-Urdiales. Half of the 20 with a depth found water at 50–130 m. 20 springs are recorded.

Ground: 47% low permeability, local groundwater only; 27% karstic or fissured aquifer, high productivity; 24% karstic or fissured aquifer, medium productivity.

Choosing where to drill takes a hydrogeologist.

What to watch for

• 9 fires since 2016 reached the municipality: 276 ha in all, the latest in 2026.
• No mapped flood zone (only studied rivers are mapped).
• 0.7% of the municipality is Natura 2000: new works need the region's consent.
• Radon zone I: new and restored homes need radon protection by law.

Living here

• 4G reaches 100% of homes; fibre 92%. Averages for the municipality.
• Rain: 1,046 mm a year (1971–2000), about 880 by 2041–2070.
• Summer highs: 21.8 °C, about 23.6 °C by 2041–2070.
• Frost days: 5 a year, about 1 by 2041–2070.

Around it

Muskiz · Guriezo · Trucios-Turtzioz · Sopuerta · Liendo · Artzentales